Job 16:6
New International Version
“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.

New Living Translation
Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.

English Standard Version
“If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?

Berean Standard Bible
Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

King James Bible
Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

New King James Version
“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

New American Standard Bible
“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?

NASB 1995
“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?

NASB 1977
“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?

Legacy Standard Bible
“If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I cease, what will go forth from me?

Amplified Bible
“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved; And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

Christian Standard Bible
If I speak, my suffering is not relieved, and if I hold back, does any of it leave me?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved, and if I hold back, what have I lost?

American Standard Version
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?

Contemporary English Version
If I speak, or if I don't, I hurt all the same. My torment continues.

English Revised Version
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If I speak, my pain is not eased. If I stop talking, how much of it will go away?

Good News Translation
But nothing I say helps, and being silent does not calm my pain.

International Standard Version
"But if I speak, my pain isn't assuaged; if I refrain from speaking, what do I have to lose?"

Majority Standard Bible
Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

NET Bible
"But if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I refrain from speaking--how much of it goes away?

New Heart English Bible
"Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?

Webster's Bible Translation
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

World English Bible
“Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If I speak, my pain is not restrained, "" And I cease—what goes from me?

Young's Literal Translation
If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease -- what goeth from me?

Smith's Literal Translation
If I shall speak, my pain will not be held back, and shall I cease, what will go from me?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But what can I do? When I am speaking, my grief will not be quiet; and if I am quiet, it will not withdraw from me.

New American Bible
If I speak, my pain is not relieved; if I stop speaking, nothing changes.

New Revised Standard Version
“If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, who can comfort me?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
For if I shall speak, my sorrow is not removed, and I am if silent, who is relieving me?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Decries his Comforters
5But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief. 6Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away? 7Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.…

Cross References
Psalm 77:3-4
I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah / You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

Psalm 39:2-3
I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred. / My heart grew hot within me; as I mused, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

Lamentations 3:17-18
My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. / So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”

Psalm 32:3-4
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. / For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah

Jeremiah 20:7-9
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. / For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long. / If I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones, and I become weary of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

Psalm 38:8
I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

Psalm 42:3
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalm 69:3
I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. / Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. ...

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.

2 Corinthians 1:8-9
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. / Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

Matthew 26:37-39
He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. / Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” / Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. / We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Romans 7:24
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?


Treasury of Scripture

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

my grief

Job 10:1
My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

Psalm 77:1-9
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me…

Psalm 88:15-18
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted…

what am I eased.

Jump to Previous
Assuaged Cease Eased Forbear Goes Grief Hold Mind Pain Quiet Refrain Relieved Restrained Speak Subsided
Jump to Next
Assuaged Cease Eased Forbear Goes Grief Hold Mind Pain Quiet Refrain Relieved Restrained Speak Subsided
Job 16
1. Job reproves his friends for unmercifulness
17. He maintains his innocence














Even if I speak
Job is expressing the futility of his situation. In the context of the Book of Job, Job's speeches are a response to his friends who have accused him of wrongdoing. Despite his attempts to defend himself, his words do not bring comfort or change his circumstances. This reflects the broader theme of the limitations of human wisdom and understanding in the face of suffering. Job's speeches can be seen as a type of Christ, who also faced unjust suffering and remained silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7).

my pain is not relieved
Job's suffering is both physical and emotional. Historically, Job's afflictions are described as severe, including loss of wealth, family, and health. The cultural context of the time often linked suffering with divine punishment, which is why Job's friends insist he must have sinned. However, Job's pain is not alleviated by speaking, highlighting the inadequacy of human solutions to spiritual and existential problems. This can be connected to the New Testament, where true relief from suffering is found in Christ (Matthew 11:28).

and if I hold back
Job considers the alternative of remaining silent. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, silence could be seen as acceptance or resignation. However, Job's silence would not change his situation, emphasizing the theme of helplessness in human suffering. This reflects the human condition and the need for divine intervention. The silence of Job can be compared to the silence of Jesus before His crucifixion, where silence was a form of submission to God's will (Mark 14:61).

how will it go away?
Job questions the possibility of relief from his suffering. This rhetorical question underscores the hopelessness he feels. In the broader biblical narrative, this points to the need for a Redeemer, as human efforts are insufficient to remove the burden of sin and suffering. The ultimate answer to Job's question is found in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who provides a way for suffering to be transformed and ultimately eradicated (Revelation 21:4).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.

2. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar
Job's three friends who visit him to offer comfort but end up arguing that his suffering must be due to sin.

3. Uz
The land where Job lived, often associated with the region east of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia.

4. God
The sovereign Creator who allows Job's testing and ultimately restores him.

5. Satan
The adversary who challenges Job's integrity, suggesting that his faithfulness is due to his prosperity.
Teaching Points
The Inevitability of Suffering
Job's lament highlights that suffering is a part of the human experience, and it does not always correlate with personal sin or failure.

The Struggle with Expression
Job's words reveal the tension between expressing pain and the futility of doing so. This teaches us about the importance of finding a balance in sharing our burdens with others and with God.

The Role of Friends in Suffering
Job's interactions with his friends remind us of the importance of empathy and understanding when supporting those who are suffering.

Faith Amidst Silence
Even when God seems silent, maintaining faith and trust in His ultimate plan is crucial.

The Search for Relief
Job's question about relief points to the human desire for comfort and the ultimate relief that comes from God alone.(6) Though I speak . . .--"I cannot but reply, though to reply gives me no relief."

Verse 6. - Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased! As it is, nor speech nor silence are of any avail. Neither of them brings me any relief. My sufferings continue as before, whichever course I take.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Even if
אִֽם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I speak,
אֲ֭דַבְּרָה (’ă·ḏab·bə·rāh)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

my pain
כְּאֵבִ֑י (kə·’ê·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3511: Suffering, adversity

is not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

relieved,
יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ (yê·ḥā·śêḵ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2820: To restrain, refrain, to refuse, spare, preserve, to observe

and if I hold back,
וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה (wə·’aḥ·də·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle

how
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

will it go away?
יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃ (ya·hă·lōḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk


Links
Job 16:6 NIV
Job 16:6 NLT
Job 16:6 ESV
Job 16:6 NASB
Job 16:6 KJV

Job 16:6 BibleApps.com
Job 16:6 Biblia Paralela
Job 16:6 Chinese Bible
Job 16:6 French Bible
Job 16:6 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Job 16:6 Though I speak my grief is not (Jb)
Job 16:5
Top of Page
Top of Page